By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
BACOLOD City – An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) insurgent was in a gun battle with elements of the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) in Sitio Manlibod, Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental yesterday morning.
Government forces have yet to identify the fatality.
Based on information released by the 62IB, they received a call from a concerned citizen that NPA rebels were in the area extorting money and food from the residents.
The 62IB immediately sent troops to the area and they encountered the eight-man insurgent force at around 7:30 a.m.
The clash lasted for five minutes until the rebels were forced to withdraw from the area, leaving behind their lone fatality, the Army said.
No one was wounded among the government forces.
Soldiers recovered a .45 pistol with two magazines, a fragmentation grenade, a live .38 bullet, binoculars, assorted war materials, and the insurgents’ personal belongings.
The 62IB also believes that the group of rebels they clashed with yesterday was the same group they engaged in a gun battle on Aug. 16 and 17 in Sitio Cambairan, Barangay Trinidad.
The government troops have already launched a manhunt operation against the fleeing insurgents./PN
